More Alike than We Thought
by Icommentyouwrite
Summary: Cloud's a pretty boy living different lives at home and school, Leon's a delinquent. What will happen when their two not-so-different world's meet? Will contain Yaoi in later chapters. AU. A little OOC, but I intend to mend that in later chapters.


Chapter 1: Only You Can See Through My Poker Face

Cloud's eyes slowly revealed the small cramped space which was his room.

_**Ever since his father died, his mother had become an alcoholic and quit work shortly afterwards. She soon became unaware of his presence and sold her body for money. He'd have nightmares of the countless nights he spent wide awake as the voices of adults spouting dirty talk penetrate through the shut door. Finally, during his third year in junior high, his mother remarried to a man who was kind to him. However, that kindness was but a disguise, and once Cloud's mother would leave the house on a whim, his step-father would molest and abuse him. It's obvious that the traumatizing events lead him to become impotent. He attends school on a regular basis as it was wha he considered his sanctuary. At school, he's just another third-year student making their way into becoming a part of society, but at home he's nothing more than a frightened child. **_

_**Cloud listened carefully for the sounds of his step-father snoring loudly in the room before quietly dressing himself in his uniform. He rotated his wrist as a stinging pain jolted him awake. Wearing a solemn expression, he quietly slipped on his shoes and shut the door, and once out the door his face made a complete 180-degrees turn. He felt like he was walking on the stairway to heaven, the high school being that heaven.**_

He came around the corner and met up with his group of friends whom were equally excited to see him. It was an awkward time for things to change in his life. It's been long enough to adapt to school life again, coming from summer vacation, but it hasn't been long enough to anticipate the winter break that would come after final exams.

"Morning Cloud!"

Tiffa always seemed happy to see Cloud, whether it be morning or night.

"Good morning!"

Aeris bowed and continued to consume her morning snack.

Yuffie frowned and then patted her stomach.

"Aeris, I don't understand how you can eat so much but be so thin! It's frustrating." Her fists pounded on the second male of the group who dread the mornings. He pretended not to notice her and stared into space.

Cloud sped up and joined them. Yuffie initiated the gossiping within the girls of the group.

"I heard that Highwind-san and Valentine-san are going out." She leered at Cloud, searching for some sort of reaction.

"Eh? Aren't they teachers?" Tiffa replied as she added more fuel into the heated discussion.

"I know! It's unfortunate. Highwind-san is completely scary, but Valentine-san is so cool!"

Aeris hid her blush behind her brown bag, munching happily on another snack.

The sounds of girls chatting became a background noise as Cloud and Reno nonchalantly held a conversation on their own.

"So, Cloud. How's it going?" He seemed to come to life once they began moving.

He looked annoyed at the red-head," Don't ask silly questions."

Reno shrugged," How about we go to your house to stufy for exams tonight?"

Cloud felt an immense amount of pressure encumbering him as the thought of having his friends over haunted his mind.

"About that..." Cloud muttered, thinking of an excuse.

" It's fine. I wasn't being serious." Reno walked passively next to Cloud, thinking about what they should do later in the day. Sometimes, Cloud wondered if Reno knew about his life at home but he'd never question him about it.

They finally arrived at school, maneuvering their way through a crowd of girls whom had waited to speak with Cloud and hopefully walk with him to class. The atmosphere changed dramatically as everyone felt the foreboding aura of the notorious delinquent approaching. The girls slowly backed away, making room for him to pass. Cloud took this as his chance and followed the man to the building. The man in front of Cloud had shaggy brown hair and wore six belts over his uniform. Cloud reached out and tapped him on the shoulder. He stopped, slightly amused that someone physically grabbed his attention.

"Thanks."

Cloud smiled as the man turned away

"What are you thanking me for?" The coldness in his voice usually sent people away, but it had a different effect on Cloud.

"Eh, uh, it's just that you do this everyday for me, and the least I can say is thanks."

The girls made a large ring around Cloud as the man disappeared. Loud ringing echoed throughout the hallways singaling the beginning of class. Cloud sighed heavily as he waited for the occupied hall to be cleared so he could reach the calssroom door.

As he entered the classroom, the smell of cigarettes and sweat engulfed him. You'd think he'd be used to it by now.

"Take your seat you damned brat. I ain't got all day to wait for your ass to show up so I can start my lesson."

However, Cloud was used to this. He smiled as he took his seat, knowing well that the teacher could be as cold as he wanted upfront, but inside he was just a caring person.

Cid thought to himself,"_Damn, every time I see that kid smile, it pisses me off."_

"Open your books to page one-hundred twenty-two..."

Cloud stared out the window, finding peace in this class due to the fact that every other student was too scared to disobey .He often daydream and think about his future: Having a great paying job, living with a beautiful wife and children, but most importantly, far away from _that_ place.

"Hey, airhead, tell me the formula for- Hey are ya listening!?" The cigarette that was in the teacher's mouth dropped into the ashtray which was conveniently on the desk.

Cloud muttered," Isn't smoking illegal in schools?"

Cloud's face was directed at him, but his eyes told him that he was zoning out. The girl sitting next to Cloud stood up and answered for him, sitting down and earning a gruff from the annoyed teacher.

"Thanks Rinoa. I don't know how I'd get by this class without you here."

"It's no problem, but you should really pay more attention to class." She blushed slightly by the amount of flattery he'd given her. She could feel the surrounding girls around her glarind daggers behind her back.

"Yeah, I know." Cloud mumbled as his turned his attention back outside the window, noticing that boy with shaggy brown hair and two other guys were seemingly fighting. His arm rose on its own.

"What is it?"

"May I use the restroom?"

"Yes. Now, if you do this and this..."

Cloud walked at a fast pace outside the classroom, turning into a jog as he finally reached the hallway. He ran outside and encountered the boys fighting, and rushed over and helped up the cornered guy up after he had fallen. The two other boys mumbled something about homos and how 'this isn't worth it anymore' and took off. Cloud glared at them angrily before helping the man to a bench. Sweat trickled down his forehead as he sat under the cool shade. He reclined himself and let the bench support him fully.

"Wh- What are you doing?" He felt uncomfortable as the other man touched him when his guard was down. Although it was uncomfortable, it was a gentle type of touch that he was unfamiliar with.

Cloud smiled before applying pressure to injuries to cease the flow of blood.

"Let me take you to the infirmary."

"Hmph." Was all he said as he leaned on the slightly smaller man's figure. His legs tried their hardest to walk on their own, but he soon found himself leaning on Cloud more than before.

"By the way, my name's Cloud. You never told me yours."

_"Of course I know your name's Cloud. You're the only thing the girls at school talk about."_

"It's Leon."

"Leon huh? I hope we can become friends."

_"Is this guy dense? Doesn't he know who I am?"_

"Uh, yeah, whatever."

A pair of girls who had been returning to class saw them and immediately froze between running towards them and keeping a distance. It was like the two completely opposite men had a push and pull effect on them. Cloud explained the situation to the nurse, sitting next to Leon as he laid in the white bed.

"Shouldn't you be going to class?" The silence between the two men was pleasurable, but the presence of the other seemed to irritate him.

Cloud furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at Leon.

"What?" Leon didn't think his question was awkward, but apparently it was.

"That's an odd question coming from you." He finally replied.

"After all, you barely attend classes right? If you did, I'd have known your name earlier." He added.

Leon remained quiet as Cloud talked.

"Why do you even come to school? I mean if you aren't even going to do anything here, then why come? Wouldn't it be more comfortable just staying at home?"

Those words were painful even when he had heard them many times from different people. "You wouldn't understand if I told you."

Cloud examined the pained expression Leon wore and was able to imagine himself lying in the bed wearing the same one. He smiled as he discovered a sign of similarity.

_"You'd be surprised at how well I understand your situation, Leon."_ was what he wanted to say, but he didn't say anything else. He didn't know when Leon fell asleep, but he did. Watching the other man's sleeping expression fueled a burning desire within him. Before he understood his own actions, he was already bent over and kissing Leon's cheek. Cloud opened his eyes and came to a realization. He stumbled out of his chair and rushed out the room, leaving Leon confused.

_"What was that just now? He honestly thought that I'd be asleep with him still around?"_

_ _ _ _ _ _

"Cloud! You disappeared for two classes and conveniently appear for lunch time. **Very** mysterious" Yuffie grinned.

"Where were you?" Aeris sat down, placing her bento before her and clapping her hands together.

"Yuffie here had been spouting out her fantasies of what could have happened to you." Tiffa added.

"You could have been having a secret affair with college student whom you meet everyday and do perverted things, or maybe you went to the bathroom and was assaulted and raped by some pervert, or maybe you and your girlfriend were spending intimate time in the reference room...."

Cloud sulked as he waited for Yuffie to finish.

"So? Which one was it?" She concluded.

"None. I just went to the nurse's office." He felt at ease as the simple sentence seemed to strike a harsh blow on the girl.

"Are you okay?" Aeris mumbled in between bites.

Tiffa slurped hew juice and asked," Tired or something?"

Yuffie gawked," I knew it! You must have been raped!" She seemed to have recovered quickly.

Reno arrived with a tray of food and sat next to Cloud, wearing an annoyed expression as the word rape was mentioned in the same sentence with Cloud's name.

"Who'd you rape Cloud?"

Yuffie corrected," No, Cloud was the victim."

Reno spat out his juice," What!? Who raped you!?"

The statement alerted all of Cloud's fan girls who then went hysterical. Reno had no intentions of causing a scene and immediately put up a bluff.

"Ahaha, just kidding."

At once, they returned back to normal girls having lunch.

"Geez, Cloud you've got some insane admirers." Reno winced at the thought of getting on the bad side of even a single one of them.

Cloud sighed," It's not like I asked them to."

"But it's true! If you harm one of them and the thing you harmed them with had to do with Cloud, they'll all come after you!" She giggled as she remembered a distant memory.

Tiffa squeezed her juicebox," Sounds like it's happened to you before."

Cloud's eyes wandered towards the nurse's window and his body reacted with a sigh. He fingered his lips as he recalled the kiss over and over.

_"This isn't good."_

He rose his left hand and clenched his shirt.

_"Why does my chest hurt so bad? Why is my heart thumping so loud? Is this what love is, or am I mistaking it for friendship? Even if it was love, it'd be one-sided..."_

"Yoohoo, Cloud? So what do you think about going out for karaoke tonight?"

"Uh, yeah."

_ _ _ _ _ _

_Meanwhile in the nurse's office._

The nurse was having her lunch in the room since there seemed to be a large number of patients today. During her break, she overhead one of her patients muttering something in their sleep, or so she assumed.

Leon was aroused by such a chaste kiss to the point where he despised himself.

"Gah, Cloud. I can't believe....Tow men!...This is embarassing....never...letting....him...see...me...like...this."

The nurse pulled the curtain away, revealing Leon.

"You seem to be fine now. Let me write you up a pass and then you can return to class."

_"I haven't been to class in a while, this might be a good change of pace. Let's see... I should be having History right about now. I've never showed up to that class, once."_

The nurse ripped a piece of paper out of her notebook," Sorry, we ran out of passes, but you can take this instead."

He grabbed it from her hand and walked out the door. The empty hallways seemed ominous by the way his footsteps echoed throughout the corridors. He shrugged off the feeling of being watched and assumed it to be paranoia. He made a turn around the corner and found the classroom, walking inside casually and sat down in an empty seat. It was near the back, second from the window seat. He noticed a blond boy staring out the window, whom in return notice him. Their eyes met momentarily and then he said," Leon! What're you doing here?"

"Keep it down Strife-kun."

"Uh, yes, Valentine-san."

It seemed as if everything in his head connected and it made sense.

"That must be it. I was wondering why no one sat next to me, but then it turnd out you did, but you never showed up to class right?"

_"Bullzeye."_

Leon responded naturally," Usually, I spend my time on the roof-" He was interrupted by the growling of his stomach. Cloud became confused momentarily before realizing that he hadn't eaten lunch. Cloud chuckled and invited him to go eat afterschool, and possibly join his friends with karaoke.

Leon was unsure, but he decided to do something he hadn't done before. Something about the other man was promising.

"Great! I'll come get you after class ends. If I'm not there in time, meet me at the front gate."

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

He felt like a complete idiot standing in front of the gate for the certain male friend to show up. His aura seemed more gloomy and it acted as a ward to animals and humans. The cry of the familiar voice alerted him and so he rose his head. Cloud was being pursued by a group of girls and wore a terrified expression as his legs pumped with as much energy to close the distance between Leon and himself. Cloud stopped and caught his breath before Leon started on a jolt and dragged him along. Cloud's friends were waiting on the bench and noticed the two men running followed by a horde of females. They stood by as another chase around town began.

"Doesn't Cloud ever get tired of being chased like this?"

"Yuffie, it's not like he wants to be!"

"Calm down Tiffa, I was just kidding."

Leon pulled Cloud into an alleyway, a classic act. Unfortunately for them, they ran into other people.

"Hey, look. It's the bad ass punk and his homo friend!"

The group of men stomped on their cigarettes and disposed of their alcohol, slowly forming a cirlce around Cloud and Leon. Cloud's temper rose as he clenched his hand into a fist.

"Hey! Who's a ho-"

Leon interrupted him and pulled him deeper into the alleyway. They were being pursued by the infuriated drunks.

"Get back here ya pussies!"

"Stay and fight!"

Leon ,lead them through a series of twists and turns before they finally found an opening in which Cloud stepped out first, panting for breath.

"Kya!~ Look it's Cloud-senpai! Quick, over here!"

_"Shit."_

There wasn't a moment of rest for the two teens as they were chased around town. Cloud's cellphone kept on beeping, and at some point he checked it.

_"It's Reno."_

[Cloud, meet us in front of the hotel next to the usual karaoke place.]

Cloud pivoted his footing and unconsciously dragged Leon along with him. They ran across the street, barely avoiding the cars and managing to escape from their pursuers. The leader of the Cloud fan club stepped in front of the thugs and declared herself.

"What were you doing, chasing after Cloud-senpai." She noticed that they were armed with weapons. Coming to conclusions, she pounded her fist against her palm and yelled in a battle cry.

"Never underestimate the power of fanaticism!!! Fan girls attack!!!"

"We'll never forgive you for trying to hurt Cloud-senpai!!!"

Thus began another run around town.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

Reno casually flipped his phone closed and open, wondering when Cloud would respond. Out of the blue, a pair of boys crashed into him, seemingly running from across the street. The sounds of cars honking and breaks screeching alerted Reno of the state. Usually, when Cloud was being chased, it was only by girls and he was with himself, this time it was double of everything.

"What the-"

Cloud fell on top of Reno as Leon let go and fell on his rear. He struggled to get off of his friend.

"C-Cloud? What the hell?"

They limped inside, joining the females in their reserved karaoke room.

"It's about time you guys showed up! Oh, and who's this?"

Cloud sat down on the comfortable leather sofa and explained.

"Oh, so that's it?" Tiffa confirmed, stealing an unsatisfactory glance at Yuffie.

"That girl was spouting more nonsense about rape and secret love affairs again."

"But it's always a possibility!" Yuffie defended.

"Your school uniforms are so dirty." Aeris added. The three girls then heard the familiar beat of their favorite song and immediately rushed over to the microphone, screaming the lyrics in unison. Reno pressed the buzzer and ordered drinks for everyone. He ordered alcoholic drinks for he men and fruit juices for the females. The drinks were set on the table and the waiter closed the door, smiling nervously as he listened the the girls hollering into one mic.

"Bottoms up fellas."

Reno gulped down the beverage. Cloud and Leon couldn't help but indulge themselves in the liquid. They were so thirsty that it was unbearable. Time passed and the girls' voices became hoarse so they stopped and drank their juices. They cheered for the drunk boys to go up and sing, and so they did. Reno grabbed the microphone and began singing his heart out as Cloud and Leon gripped his hand and alternated the microphone in front of each others' mouth.

"C-Cloud what are you doing?" Tiffa was blushing as he began to undo his tie.

"It's hot in here..."

He took off his vest and then his white undershirt, revealing his envied body, glistening with sweat. His hands began to play with his belt before they were removed forcibly by Leon.

One look at Leon and the burning desire within the men were ignited. The session ended conveniently and the friends were too tired to return home so they rented two rooms in the hotel. One for the men and the other for the women. Reno felt dizzy and decided to embark on a walk, leaving two horny drunk men alone. Cloud's vision blurred as he climbed over Leon, touching his nipple from underneath their uniform. Leon moaned, but his self-control was solid. Fortunately, Cloud passed out after that and slept on Leon. His loose clothing were provoking the other man, but he endured.

_"Cloud's sleeping face really is beautiful..."_

Leon rested his neck and stared at the ceiling, trying to calm down his arousal. Cloud mumbled within his sleep.

" Tehe, it's pressing up against my stomach."

Leon was startled and immediately removed Cloud and placed him right next to him. He continued to observe Cloud's face and before he knew it his eyes were drooping. Cloud's mouth was opened slightly almost as if it was a net, trying to capture Leon's tongue. He placed a soft kiss on Cloud's lips and then passed out right next to him.

Reno returned with a girl he picked up during his walk and saw the two men lying in the same bed.

"What the-"

She giggled and waved bye to him as she left, laughing about queers or something.

"Damn it!" He kicked the air and lost his balance, blaming it on the alcohol before falling asleep on the floor.


End file.
